


The Legendary Bad Boy

by tigereyes45



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gendrya Big Bang, Modern Era, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigereyes45/pseuds/tigereyes45
Summary: Arya Stark was dreading her parents' party. Between the long list of her siblings' accomplishments and all the people her mother insists on introducing her too, it wasn't going to be fun. Thankfully Hot Pie has found an ad that he believes may be her answer.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Hot Pie & Arya Stark, Lommy & Arya Stark, Lommy Greenhands/Hot Pie, Meera Reed/Bran Stark, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell, Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
Comments: 20
Kudos: 72





	1. The Ad

With a sigh, Arya pushes off with her feet from the desk. Her chair rolls back, spinning her closer towards her barely made, basic, comes with the apartment bed. Despite the absurd amount of pillows Sansa had given her (or perhaps because of), the bed was still uncomfortable on the best of days. Today wasn’t one of them. In fact, this whole week will undoubtedly be filled with lackluster days blended together by shitty moments. A complete cacophony of nonsense tied neatly by a shitty string of shitty people. Arya throws her phone down on the bed. She leaps off the chair, landing in her soft blue, snowflake patterned blanket. Between Bran rambling about how great college is going for him and her mother’s attempts to set her up this weekend she didn't have much to look forward too. At least Jon was coming back. He and Robb had both been dragged out of the office just for this party.

“Why did dad have to continue his stupid yearly big dinners after his retirement?” Her groan muffled by the pink wolf, feather pillow Sansa had given her. Her complaints were unnecessary. They did nothing but make her feel better. That was one good thing of this place. It was a space where she could moan, and groan, and pout to her heart's content without her mother asking after her mental state. Or her father offering her some snacks. Nothing could convince the man that his children's problems couldn't be fixed with a large bowl of ice cream and a long talk. It was his signature move. Ice cream and rants. That was their nickname, and honestly they never made Arya feel better.

Not when all her issues came from her family. Sometimes they were all just too much.

In a sing song voice the words, 'do you know the muffin man' start playing on her phone. Hot Pie's habit of calling at just the right moment remains unbroken. She picks up her note galaxy. Hot Pie and Lommy's faces stare back at her. Their tongues out, and hands mocking the shape of a wolf howling at the sky. The two were fools. Fools who just so happened to be her best friends.

Rolling onto her stomach, Arya slides her thumb up with the green button. She taps the speaker as Hot Pie's blurry face fills the screen. Of course he waited until she answered in order to switch the call into a video message. His hair was wet and messy on his head. She could only see the side of his face and his chest from where he held his phone. From the audio it was clear that he was talking to someone. Probably Lommy. Not many others visit the culinary student. Partially because his room always smells like sweets and made everyone hungry. The other reason being that Lommy was a tired dental student. Studying was the new norm for him. Which was an odd turn considering how much drama it took for him to even crack open a book. If college had changed any of them, it was Lommy who changed the most.

"Tell me I picked up for a reason." At the sound of her voice, Hot Pie's head whirls back around. He was grinning like a cat with a canary. Which knowing him meant that he had a new recipe he just tried out. Yet when he saw she hadn't turned on her camera his face sunk. With a frown he stares down at his phone.

"Come on Arry! I've got a surprise for you."

"Yeah that's why I'm still looking at your face Hot Pie."

He stares at her. A minute later he raises his eyebrow and smirks. "You're cuddling with your pink wolf pillow again. Aren't you?" Before she could argue he was leaning back in his chair. "Lommy will you tell Arya that there's no shame in actually enjoying gifts from her sister?"

"What?" Comes an exhausted low voice. "Is she refusing to turn on the camera again?"

"Yeah." Hot Pie sets his phone down on its stand. He turns away from her, resting his arms on the back of his metal chair. His body leans away, and she assumes he's probably leaning all the way on the back legs of his chair. Now a patch of long blonde hair enters the frame. Lommy had all of his hair but his bangs pulled back into a long ponytail. The loose bangs frame his long face. He peers down at the phone from over Hot Pie's shoulder.

"Arya will you just turn the camera on so I can study in peace? You know how distracting he can be."

"No." She readjusts herself so the pillow as completely under her chest now. She rests the phone up against her grey large pillow. Her chin sits comfortably in her hand. "Not my problem Lommy. You roomed with him."

Hot Pie looks insulted as he lets his chair fall down onto it's front legs again. "Problem? I'm the problem? You're the one who keeps kicking me out of OUR room. You're up all night studying almost every night. I have to turn off the lamp, and move your books so that you don't drool all over them while you sleep at your desk!"

His eyes roll like a professional photographer who has no more patience for a model. "Fine. Hot Pie leave her alone and send the link. I'm going back to that desk I apparently sleep at so much."

"A link to what?"

"Fine." Hot Pie agrees, thoroughly ignoring her. Mumbling something under his break he leans forward. She could ehar typing on a keyboard that was completely out of sight. "Get on your laptop Arry. It looks funky on mobile."

She growls. "I just laid down."

"Well now you have to get up again. Shouldn't be a problem for the only Stark that turned gym class into a competition.

"One I fucking won! Even Robb and Jon couldn't beat that time on the track."

"They were graduated by the time we were in high school. You were racing against their records."

"That's not completely true. They did come by and race her on the weekends they were in town." Lommy adds his voice very loud now as he calls from the back of the room.

"Shut up and go back to studying. Since you have too so much."

"Could you stop being petty for one fucking day?"

"I don't know. Can you-" Arya drops her phone as the squabbling continues. The bed bounces back up as she hops off, feet first. With a glance back out the small framed window Arya plops herself back down in her computer chair. With a light kick her chair goes sailing back across the room. It crosses without issue bumbling only at the end, gently like a bug smacking against a leaf. Head bouncing with the chair Arya stretches her arms out. Lazily the woman turns around back towards her laptop. Setting it back up, the computer quietly roars back to life. There's a soft hazy blue loading screen before it's replaced by the sight of a painting. A pack of wolves all brown, grey, and white are in a pile together under the cover of a mountain ledge. The entrance to their cave behind them. The moon above their heads as they look away from her towards it.

It takes mere seconds to pull up Hot Pie's link. On a website see never had to bother visiting before, there was a loosely put together ad. In big bold lettering the title says,  **_'Need a date? Someone to impress your family, or piss them off, well I've got some free time.'_ **

“So what exactly am I looking at Hot Pie?” Surely this was a joke.

“It’s something Lommy sent me, and it just might be the answer to your problems!”

Her eyes roll faster than the wheels on the old Baratheon pickup truck. Scrolling down she stops on a picture of the Gendry guy. He had dark black hair, wet with sweat. His white shirt was stained with black spots that she could only guess went along with the whole mechanic vibe he had going. The black leather jacket was the cleanest part of his outfit. It’s probably the only thing he doesn’t take into a garage with him. He was leaning against his deep navy blue motorcycle.

“This guy looks bored.”

“If he wasn’t I doubt he would’ve made the post, Arry.”

“True.” She leans over past her laptop towards the bowl of mini-sized snickers, and butterfingers. Drawing one out at random Arya scrolls further down. “He has like a whole list of shit he will and won’t do. He had purely platonic highlighted, and bolded. One or the other draws enough attention. Two is just overdoing it.”

“Maybe that’s what you should do with your notes then Arry!” There’s a high pitch laugh followed by a shove.

“That’s my phone Lommy!”

“Well you took Arya off speaker! How else am I supposed to listen?”

“You’re not!” Pulling the phone away from her ear Arya finishes reading the ad. As Lommy starts to shout louder she cracks her neck. This guy seems honest enough. All of that work for just a free meal. Plus if she could see the night end with Joffrey getting punched in the face then it would be as close to perfect as any night with her family could be. The two were still wrestling over Hot Pie’s phone as she sends the bored mechanic a quick DM.

His response was scary fast. Within minutes he had a list of questions for her to fill out. They were pretty basic. What is the meal for? What time, location, how long will it be, what will be served, and her name. It takes her a total of three minutes to answer them all. As she waits, Arya checks her phone again to not hear fighting anymore, but hushed whispers. At least they had settled the phone issue. Refreshing the page the mechanic’s lastest message pops up. Just a phone number. No other instructions or hints at what to do next? Well it was obviously he wanted to continue the conversation, but what does someone say to a guy they only know through an ad. How does one act professionally when it comes to fake dating? She clicks her tongue against her teeth. That was probably why he had such a long list.

“Hey Hot Pie?”

“Yeah Arry?”

“I’m gonna call this guy. Later.”

“Wai-” She’s quick to the button and even quicker to the number screen. Adding the contact as “The Ad Guy”. Calls are quicker but the appeal to not talk to anyone was welcoming. Still this was a guy who posted his number on the internet. How much spam has he gotten already? Probably a lot. You can’t even open a web browser without getting an ad right at the top anymore.

In the end comfort won over desperation. He had already texted back once. Probably would do so again. She sent a short text answering only the first five questions. Her name was Arya Stark, he could go fuck himself she wasn't telling him where she lived, it was a family dinner with more than enough food to fill his stomach, he could pick her up in front of a local university's library, and she understood his rules. They were simple enough. He would do anything she wanted. Pick a fight with her siblings, he could do it. Be lewd in front of her parents, apparently easy. Could he actually go through with it after meeting her father? This might be fun after all.

_ 'Meet me at 2pm. Dinner's not till 6p but we gotta greet the guests with the rest of my fam.' _

_ 'Anything you want me to do?' _

_ 'Let's see how things go to start off. What? Eager to cause some trouble.' _

_ 'I'm not the one who sounds like a trouble maker.' _

_ 'You literally made this add.' _

_ 'Yeah and look who answered' _

'Fuck off'. Arya throws her phone back over towards her bed. Leaning back in her computer chair she throws her hair off the back of her neck. Would he really show up? Even if he did it probably wouldn't work. If she was running a betting ring the bids would be on her sister, her mother, or Bran. Fucking Bran. He better not ruin the show.


	2. Meeting for the first time is a bit lackluster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Arya is meeting her date for the family dinner. Honestly, he's not really what she expected.

Between the wind attacking with its ceaseless onslaught, and Hot Pie groaning, Arya was quickly losing her patience while waiting on Gendry. She was moments away from shoving her friend into the university’s library behind them, and meet the man behind the ad herself. By the old gods she probably would've by now if Lommy hadn’t kicked him out of their dorm room for the day. The poor sod had two exams in the middle of the weekend. Of course he would want some space. Studying with Hot Pie was just growing hungry as he explains his latest culinary class work. That or whatever specialty dish he had to make for his school job.

Feigning concern, Hot Pie wound up at her door, insisting on going with her because what if the man was a serial killer, or insane, or something. His list had been about five minutes long. She had to finish putting on her formal suit as he went on. The deep midnight blue jacket and pants were a gift from her father. A suit that matches his own in every regard but color. It only gets to see the light of day at these get-togethers, and formal meetings for school. Still it was a thoughtful gift. She may not like getting dressed up in anyway but it wasn’t just for parties. It was his own silent way in admitting that he finally recognized her.

Instead of seeing the ghosts who used to haunt his nights he finally saw Arya. Not the girl who didn’t believe she wasn’t beautiful enough for a dress like her mother and sister. Not his sister on her deathbed. Not even his mother in her eyes, or his older brother Brandon in the way she fences. Ned handed her that suit folded neatly in a bright baby blue box, and she left home feeling like a new Arya Stark.

But she still has to go to the parties.

Arya waits for ten more minutes. Her nerves burning away at all ends. Hot Pie asking her to feel his icy fingers was the last straw. If this guy couldn't be professional enough to show up on time then he would just have to bother trying to find her in the library. If he didn't just give up on this whole endeavor to begin with. It didn't matter. If he fell through then it would just be yet another miserable dinner with her family.

On one hand she had already texted everyone about this 'amazing guy' who convinced her to bring him along. Sansa of course doubted somebody had swept her off her feet. She sent the best picture from the ad. By best she of course meant the most ridiculous image on his page. He was wearing a white t-shirt covered in grease stains. It made her mother pause before asking anymore questions. The ones that followed were overly polite. She may not agree with Arya but at least she didn't shame her taste. Well not in men at least.

The photo earned a surprised emoji from Sansa. Followed by a gif of kermit somehow rolling his eyes. If it wasn't for the lack of a tag in the bottom corner she would've assumed it was one of their brother's design. Rickon had recently gotten way too into gifs. Even more so than Bran, and Robb had. His new obsession went so far that he was regularly creating new ones. She was just happy he had a hobby besides beating up the other kids at his school.

"Arry is that him?" She was just about in the library door when Hot Pie cried out. His voice was even higher pitched then before. How could it get any higher? He was starting to sound more like a songbird then a human. Forcing down her complaints Arya looks back at the street. Sure enough there was a tall, young man slowing down on his navy blue motorcycle. He had a black leather jacket on with a loose black sleeveless tank top on. She told him to come under-dressed for the party, but it surprises her to see him so unprepared. Even his black jeans had far too many pockets outnumbered only by the stains. If his talk was as loud as his outfit would be then she may get out of the next two business meals.

At the very least the Baratheons would all but block her across their social media pages. Everyone but Robert. Her father's best friend was harder to shake then his wife or kids. The giant ass was like a tick, constantly sucking at the blood of her family. Searching for any semblance that he may belong. His divorce with her aunt had happened only a year into their relationship and still he wasn't over it. Her father insists it's because she died just a few months after the papers were finalized. Arya tend to side with her mother on this matter. Even if Lyanna hadn't passed Robert would still come around. He had secluded himself off from the rest of his family. His brothers hated him, and his parents were dead, who else could he turn to when his second wife was being a bitch?

Gendry parks right in front of Hot Pie. She's struck by an odd thought as he slides his black helmet off. From a distance he almost looks like a thin Robert. Dark black hair, broad shoulders, and an overabundance of leather and black in his outfit. Almost as if he had stepped out of her father's old photos. A shiver climbs down her spine. If dealing with Joffrey didn't make her throw up, her thoughts might just do the trick. Either way Rickon would cheer, and Sansa's dress was probably going to end up ruined. Maybe Gendry could spill a drink on her?

"You coming or am I taking this guy here to your house?" He leans against the handles gesturing at Hot Pie with his thumb. A part of her wants to call him out for trying to hard. All that cool oozing off of him. Ugh, he has to be trying. No one just gives off that sense naturally.

"Yeah right. Good luck getting pass the gate without me." She walks faster. He pushes his ride further along the sidewalk.

"Hey as long as I get a meal I don't care who I pick up."

"That's a dangerous way to live." Arya sticks out her foot. The front tire stops. It lurches forward one last time, trying to drag her foot down with it. A simple push and it's back in place. It was stupid but hey every victory counts on a day like today.

"I haven't died yet." Gendry lets out a high short whistle. He pulls off a slightly smaller helmet. Tossing it over, Arya stares at it.

"What's this for?"

Gendry leans back. He tucks his own helmet under his arm, and smirks. "It's my one condition. I'm guessing someone didn't read the whole post."

Arya rolls her eyes. This guy was ridiculous. "It was practically three pages long. I skimmed it."

"It was four paragraphs, and clearly. You have to wear that." Pointedly he gestures towards the helmet. "Road safety."

"Aren't you supposed to be a bad boy?"

"Just because I said I would piss off your family doesn't mean I'm reckless." He puts his helmet on now. "It wouldn't look good if my client got hurt on the way."

"So drive carefully," Arya argues. Hot Pie tries to hide his smile with his phone. She glares knives at him. "If that camera is on-"

"It's not! Lommy just called. That's all."

There was no way she could prove it, but Hot Pie was lying. No doubt Lommy was going to get a copy of the video. She would have to steal both of their phones later to delete it. Muttering Arya puts her helmet on. It was going to ruin her hair. Such a narrow escape from her mother's grasp. Now her fate was for sure sealed. That's thirty minutes stolen just to get her hair redone. Arya moves to sit behind Gendry but the tall man stops her. His hands grip the sides of her helmet. She jerks her head away instantly.

"I'm checking to make sure you have it on right." His voice was flat, unbothered by her recoiling from his touch.

"I'm not a child. I can put on a helmet."

"Yeah that's why it's loose." The sudden urge to wipe that smirk off his face.

Pushing his hands away Arya tightens the helmet. "It's not loose. You're just grabby."

"Both could be true."

Arya says nothing as he checks her helmet one last time. He pats the side of it, as if to give his approval. Then lets her go. Frustration builds up inside her chest. This asshole may be just as irritating as her family. She climbs onto the motorcycle. Balling her hands into fists she places them firmly in the space between her and him.

"Hang on!" Gendry calls out before revving the motorcycle. In complete contrast with how carefully he had driven through her campus towards the library he was now racing like a mad man off campus.


End file.
